23andMe reports denying police requests to turn over customer DNA

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Private genetics company 23andMe has published a transparency report, revealing the number of requests for customers’ DNA the company has received from law enforcement authorities.

When we learned about authorities turning to private genetics companies to find a match for DNA found at a crime scene, concerns were raised over how often this occurs and whether laws should be made to prohibit this practice. In an email to Fusion, 23andMe’s privacy officer Kate Black stated that the genetics company had plans to publish a public transparency report on its website within the next couple of months. Just one week later, the report is up—and reportedly contains every request 23andMe has had from law enforcement agencies seeking to gain access to their genetic database.

According to the report, 23andMe has received four requests from state authorities and the FBI, covering five of its users’ accounts. That means that five users and potentially their close family members who had not even submitted their DNA, had DNA that could have been of use to authorities. However, the company claims to have been able to deny all of these requests and has not turned over any of their customers’ DNA to authorities.

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